← Living Tanach

אהוד בן גרא

Ehud ben Gera: The Left Hand

A short two-edged blade, bound to the side nobody searches.

וַיַּעַשׂ לוֹ אֵהוּד חֶרֶב וְלָהּ שְׁנֵי פֵיוֹת גֹּמֶד אׇרְכָּהּ וַיַּחְגֹּר אוֹתָהּ מִתַּחַת לְמַדָּיו עַל יֶרֶךְ יְמִינוֹ׃

שופטים ג:טז

"And Ehud made himself a sword with two edges, a gomed in length, and girded it under his garment on his right thigh."

Shoftim 3:16

They searched him. They searched the wrong side.

וַיַּקְרֵב אֶת הַמִּנְחָה לְעֶגְלוֹן מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב וְעֶגְלוֹן אִישׁ בָּרִיא מְאֹד׃

שופטים ג:יז

"And he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moav. And Eglon was a very fat man."

Shoftim 3:17

Hush. And every man in the room walked out.

וְהוּא שָׁב מִן הַפְּסִילִים אֲשֶׁר אֶת הַגִּלְגָּל וַיֹּאמֶר דְּבַר סֵתֶר לִי אֵלֶיךָ הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר הָס וַיֵּצְאוּ מֵעָלָיו כׇּל הָעֹמְדִים עָלָיו׃

שופטים ג:יט

"And he said, I have a secret word for you, O king. And he said, Hush. And all those standing by him went out from him."

Shoftim 3:19

His left hand crossed his body to the thigh they never checked.

וַיִּשְׁלַח אֵהוּד אֶת יַד שְׂמֹאלוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת הַחֶרֶב מֵעַל יֶרֶךְ יְמִינוֹ׃

שופטים ג:כא

"And Ehud put out his left hand and took the sword from off his right thigh."

Shoftim 3:21

He shut the doors behind him and barred them.

וַיֵּצֵא אֵהוּד הַמִּסְדְּרוֹנָה וַיִּסְגֹּר דַּלְתוֹת הָעֲלִיָּה בַּעֲדוֹ וְנָעָל׃

שופטים ג:כג

"And Ehud went out to the vestibule, and shut the doors of the upper chamber upon him, and locked them."

Shoftim 3:23

They waited outside, and assumed nothing was wrong.

וְהוּא יָצָא וַעֲבָדָיו בָּאוּ וַיִּרְאוּ וְהִנֵּה דַּלְתוֹת הָעֲלִיָּה נְעֻלוֹת וַיֹּאמְרוּ אַךְ מֵסִיךְ הוּא אֶת רַגְלָיו בַּחֲדַר הַמְּקֵרָה׃

שופטים ג:כד

"And his servants came and looked, and behold the doors of the upper chamber were locked, and they said, surely he is relieving himself in the cool chamber."

Shoftim 3:24

Join the Series

Get a new story every week